Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

I will be traveling south on route 57 from Chicago through Kentucky. Does anyone know where I can stop for a pork tenderloin sandwich close to route 57? I am terribly jealous of you folks in Indiana and Iowa who can go "down the street" to buy one of these delicious sandwiches. Thank you. yummmm

starlady, You don't have to envy Indiana and Iowa. Once you leave the Chicago area you will find that Illinois has just as many cities and towns offering pork tenderloin sandwiches. Chicago just isn't in tune with outstate.

Try Schooners in Bloomington Illinois. The tenderloin is bigger than the plate it is on. It is Fantastic.

I have been living in Michigan and no one seems to know what a breaded tenderloin sandwich is. I have been searching for a drive-in, or any place, that serves one for a long time, but it seems they have all become part of the past.

I would love to have one right now, with a big rootbeer and onion rings. Yum Yum!

Here is my Michigan list but just across the border in Indiana off I-69 is that Dave's Lake Shack.

Hannah's
115 South Whittaker St.
New Buffalo, MI 49117
http://www.hannahsrestaurant.com/

Clementine's
500 Phoenix Street
South Haven, MI 49090
(269) 637-4755

1235 Broad Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
(269) 983-0990
http://www.ohmydarling.com/

and, umm, Culvers.

Moved comments to

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=423&whichpage=26

I spent my first 50 years living in N. Missouri and S. Iowa. I didn't know there was a world without tenderloin sandwiches until I moved to California in 1987. After a year of withdrawal pains, I decided to make them myself. I can now make an awesome breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
I am soon going to be making a DVD showing how the whole process is done. It will include making: ff, onion rings and a malt.
Do any of you have suggestions on how I might market this product?
The kids of today need to know what real eating is.

quote:

Originally posted by FFJean

I spent my first 50 years living in N. Missouri and S. Iowa. I didn't know there was a world without tenderloin sandwiches until I moved to California in 1987. After a year of withdrawal pains, I decided to make them myself. I can now make an awesome breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
I am soon going to be making a DVD showing how the whole process is done. It will include making: ff, onion rings and a malt.
Do any of you have suggestions on how I might market this product?
The kids of today need to know what real eating is.

Can't help you there....BUT....I'd buy one for sure.
Welcome to roadfood.

quote:

Originally posted by FFJean

I spent my first 50 years living in N. Missouri and S. Iowa. I didn't know there was a world without tenderloin sandwiches until I moved to California in 1987. After a year of withdrawal pains, I decided to make them myself. I can now make an awesome breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
I am soon going to be making a DVD showing how the whole process is done. It will include making: ff, onion rings and a malt.
Do any of you have suggestions on how I might market this product?
The kids of today need to know what real eating is.

The kids today are doing well with pork tenderloin sandwiches but not in California.

How do you make them? I've tried every way people have described and have come up with a winner. I have also sampled about every regional variation of the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and believe me even though the sandwich is confined to primarily Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and only parts of the adjacent states to those three there are regional differences in that small area.

Onion rings and French fries have never gone away and are available everywhere. I think there are some great samples of both compared to years gone by.

The malt is making somewhat of a comeback in relation to the more bland shake. Interestingly, Culver's, a fast food chain out of Wisconsin, is probably spreading the concept of the malt and the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich beyond regional boundaries than anyone else.

One the best videos for making a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich was done by the Food Network on the defunct Food Finds show. They demonstrated in detail how to make them by hand at the Brickyard Crossing in Speedway, IN. Bobby Flay also did an episode on them that I have not seen. Also Jensen Rufe made a 16 minute documentary, "In Search of the Famous Hoosier Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich" back in 1998. It was fun, entertaining and informative. Jensen Rufe, BTW is now a Californian. Here is an excerpt of his documentary.

http://www.jensenrufe.com/documentaries/tenderloin/index.html

Welcome to Roadfood.com FFJean. We need more BPT aficionados.

quote:

Originally posted by FFJean

I spent my first 50 years living in N. Missouri and S. Iowa. I didn't know there was a world without tenderloin sandwiches until I moved to California in 1987.

That's ok, I spent my first 27 years living in NY and lived in a world where tenderloind sandwiches DIDN'T didn't exist. I mentioned in a previous thread that I didn't know what one was until my first introduction to "Roadfood and Goodfood" circa 1990. And since then, Davydd has enhanced the introductory experience!

Thanks for the warm midwest welcome!

I didn't mean to imply their were no tenderloins. I meant all of the people in all of the states you didn't mention, should have the opportunity to try them. It is a fact also, the trips I have made back there over the past 10 years, have left me with tenderloins far lacking in the, "Oh, my goodness" category. Of course I was in Kansas City and that is kind of out of the region. I know we still have onion rings and ff. I was just going to show them how to make them at home, using real onions and real potatoes. They really don't do that some places.
To me, remember I am a 50's person, a tenderloin sandwich has to have crushed cracker crumbs as the breading and they have to be dipped in egg. The part I am having a hard time with is the fact, they also have to be made with Iowa Pork. It is really hard to find that here. I also only eat them with mayo and I saw from the roadtrip pics they used mustard. I kind of think that is wrong. Don't want to overpower the taste of the pork.
I also understand others have done shows on this. I just think I have such a convincing look and speech that they will feel the need to sample the sandwich.
I made the trip from Iowa to California in 1987 and we took Route 66 all the way, except for the parts which no longer exist. It was super fun and the food was great. I hope to make the trip again soon in my '69 Chevelle.

FFJean,

One of my high school classmates just completed the Route 50/66 trip from Indiana to California in his restored classic 1966 Ford Falcon. It was one of his life goals.

Actually you are in the wrong tenderloin forum here. This one below is an omnibus of all things breaded pork tenderloin and will take some time to browse.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=423

And this one is about my latest trip through Iowa sampling their very best.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23122

quote:

Originally posted by FFJean

Thanks for the warm midwest welcome!

I didn't mean to imply their were no tenderloins. I meant all of the people in all of the states you didn't mention, should have the opportunity to try them. It is a fact also, the trips I have made back there over the past 10 years, have left me with tenderloins far lacking in the, "Oh, my goodness" category. Of course I was in Kansas City and that is kind of out of the region. I know we still have onion rings and ff. I was just going to show them how to make them at home, using real onions and real potatoes. They really don't do that some places.
To me, remember I am a 50's person, a tenderloin sandwich has to have crushed cracker crumbs as the breading and they have to be dipped in egg. The part I am having a hard time with is the fact, they also have to be made with Iowa Pork. It is really hard to find that here. I also only eat them with mayo and I saw from the roadtrip pics they used mustard. I kind of think that is wrong. Don't want to overpower the taste of the pork.
I also understand others have done shows on this. I just think I have such a convincing look and speech that they will feel the need to sample the sandwich.
I made the trip from Iowa to California in 1987 and we took Route 66 all the way, except for the parts which no longer exist. It was super fun and the food was great. I hope to make the trip again soon in my '69 Chevelle.

As a former KC'er now in Oregon, I'll agree with you about West Coast pork.
Our local market brings in midwest pork, but for the most part the West is not Hog Heaven and it's hard to find the good stuff.
KC is on the edge of several different regional foods which I now realize was a good thing. But KC has plenty of good tenderloins. Davy will testify.
Jean, here's a thread from Chowhound about KC past eats you might enjoy:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/121944

I have been living in Michigan and no one seems to know what a breaded tenderloin sandwich is. I have been searching for a drive-in, or any place, that serves one for a long time, but it seems they have all become part of the past.

I would love to have one right now, with a big rootbeer and onion rings. Yum Yum!


Try any of the Culvers drive in restaurants. They all have breaded pork tenderloins. Not as good as Iowa but pretty close! You have to look for it on their menu

I've driven I-57 through southern IL and not aware of any tenderloin joints. I do seem to recall a few Maid Rite places I think. I wish you well.

I am fortunate that my MIL lives in Iowa, on the border of Nebraska and South Dakota. Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches EVERYWHERE! And they sure are good. Best I ever had was in Martinsburg, Nebraska (pop. 93) at Bob's Bar. The pork stuck out a good 2-3 inches on all sides from the bun....for $2.95.